Phyllis K. "Dooley" Holder

Phyllis Kaye Dooley Holder died on January 27. She had been ill for many years. Phyllis was the daughter of James C. Dooley and Doris Smith Dooley of Bryan. Two younger brothers, James Dooley II and Jay Dooley predeceased her. She is survived by her husband and two sons, Douglas Holder of Longview and Mark Holder of Lawrence, Kansas; by her daughters-in-law, Stacey and Kris; and by four granddaughters. Born on December 23, 1944, Phyllis grew up in Bryan, a hometown that she idealized. Intelligent and outgoing, she was a leader and the valedictorian of her Bryan High School Class of 1963. She studied foreign languages at Baylor and Texas at A&M. She was among the first women admitted to A&M. She left school to marry Don Holder in 1966 and took up life as an Army wife. Phyllis and her family moved often, living for years in Germany and at Ft Leavenworth. While in Kansas, she completed her bachelors degree in education and afterwards became an exceptional teacher. Phyllis was a devoted mother who gave her sons a loving home full of fun, activity and delicious meals. She was a woman whose heart was always turned toward her family, and in her best years she filled every room with warmth and an easy generosity that made people feel instantly at home. She was a wonderful listener and served a source of comfort and source of strength to those around her. She was adored by her siblings and cousins, who carry countless memories of shared jokes, long conversations, and uncomplicated happiness. Loved deeply by friends all over the country, Phyllis inspired and cared for hundreds of family members when Don's Army unit deployed from Germany to Saudi Arabia for the Gulf War. Working without pay or any official authority, she sustained soldiers' loved ones through a tense time. Hundreds of friends loved her for her devotion to their wellbeing and for her clear witness of her Christian faith. Phyllis and Don retired to Salado in 1997. They were members of Salado United Methodist Church where she took part in its worship and programs energetically until overcome by illness. She lived her final eight years in a memory care facility in Temple.